• About Us
  • Write for Us
  • Paid Content Solutions
  • Contact Us
ExpertHub
  • HOME
  • LAUNCH
  • BUSINESS
  • LEADERSHIP
  • MONEY
  • SUCCESS
  • NEWS
    • All
    • Company Posts
    • ExpertHub Today
    Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

    Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

    Global Tech companies

    Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

    Innovation Summit

    Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

    Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

    Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

    Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

    Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

    SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

    Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

    Trending Tags

    • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • HOME
    • LAUNCH
    • BUSINESS
    • LEADERSHIP
    • MONEY
    • SUCCESS
    • NEWS
      • All
      • Company Posts
      • ExpertHub Today
      Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

      Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

      Global Tech companies

      Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

      Innovation Summit

      Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

      Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

      Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

      Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

      Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

      SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

      Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

      Trending Tags

      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      No Result
      View All Result
      ExpertHub
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home SUCCESS Success Stories Snapshots

      MTLS: Barry Geer

      Juliet Pitman by Juliet Pitman
      Nov 10, 2009
      in Snapshots
      120
      Barry Geer of MTLS
      Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

      RelatedTopics

      SA’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs Share Secrets To Success

      5 Personality Traits of the Super Rich That Make Them Great Successes

      7 Self-Made Teenager Millionaire Entrepreneurs

      Some of the best business ideas involvelooking at something that already exists and thinking “I can do that better”.Just ask Barry Geer, founder of MTLS (Modular Traffic Light Systems). “I was driving past an accident where acar had hit a traffic light and my partner said to me, ‘If someone could inventa safe traffic light system they’d make millions,’” he says. At 2am the next morning, the light cameon. “I woke up with a vision of how to do it and I scribbled some stuff down,”Geer, an engineer by training, remembers. The next day he set off for hisbrother’s house, borrowed some of his nephew’s Lego blocks and started puttingtogether the first “prototype” of his idea.

      Meetingglobal safety needs

      Some 30% of accidents involve acollision with a traffic light or street pole and there is a strong move inEurope and the UKto mandate the use of what’s known as “passive poles”, which absorb the energyduring an impact. MTLS meets this need perfectly. Geerexplains: “A traditional traffic light consists of a steel pole with a separatesignal head. But ours is made of separate plasticinjection-moulded components that are held together with a lightweight chainassembly that is tensioned at the top and runs the length of the pole. Ratherlike a giant Lego set,” he says, harkening back to the product’s beginnings. Geer adds, “Every impact is differentbut these units break up and the entire system falls apart on impact, eitherfalling over or flying over the back of

      the vehicle.

      ”Because they are plastic, they don’tharm the driver.”Cheaper cost, faster installation. But while it’s a key unique sellingproposition, the system has more to offer than safety alone. “It’s cheaper andfaster to install, uses less manpower, and is easier to replace,” says Geer.The foundation unit is pre-cast and can be inserted directly into a hole, withthe other components quick to assemble. There’s no waiting for concrete to dry.“From a cost point of view, the entiresystem is probably slightly more expensive than the current traffic lightsbeing used, but in an accident our foundation is not disturbed so that’s aonce-off cost. Also, a standard signal head costs a municipality around R2 500to replace, whereas ours is between R450 and R500,” he adds.

      Thelong road to development

      But while the product is undoubtedlyinnovative, marketable and unique, getting it to this point has not been easy.The design took three years of prototyping. “Because South Africa has no impact testingfacility, we tested the product ourselves. “A friend of mine volunteered to crasha car into the traffic light – fortunately there was only R2 000 worth ofdamage to the car and he was absolutely fine. It was an incredibly stupid thingto do but it proved we were on the right track,” Geer says. But the biggest challenges all camedown to funding. “This sort of product sucks up cash faster thananything,” he notes. Along the way he’s bartered agreements, promisingproduction contracts to the supplier who did some of the engineering work, forexample. Finally, in 2004 he met up with partner Jayson Gouws, who injected alarge capital sum into the company. Since then, other large companies haveshown interest in investing and MTLS is currently negotiating with them.

      Gettingto market

      In November 2007, the Johannesburg RoadAgency partnered with the company to set up a pilot test site in Sandton andhas since approved the product for roll-out. There are test sites in Dubai and Germanyand enormous opportunities exist in the UK and European markets. “We’rejust in the process of getting certification for a new European and UK safetystandard,” Geer indicates. In 2008, MTLS won the SABS Design Awardfor Excellence and has recently been approached by one of the world’s largestdesign and technology institutes to showcase the product as the central focusof an upcoming USexhibition. As Geer concludes: “We’re at a reallycritical stage now. This is the tipping point – we have people who want theproduct so we just need the last final push to get certification and gear upfor manufacture.”

      • Company:MTLS
      • Players: BarryGeer and Jayson Gouws
      • Est2004
      • Contact:mtls@mweb.co.za or +27 82 434 1948
      Juliet Pitman

      Juliet Pitman

      Juliet Pitman was a features writer at Entrepreneur Magazine.

      Quick Links

      • Business Plan Advice
      • Business Plan Format Guide
      • Business Plan Format
      • Sample Business Plans

      NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

      Sign-up for Weekly ExpertHub Updates

      * indicates required




      EXPERT INSIGHTS

      Mo Rafi - 4 Banking Secrets

      4 Banking Secrets That Most People Don’t Know About

      by Mo Rafi

      Mo Rafi founded Rafi Credit Consulting Inc, a private consulting firm based in Toronto, Canada.

      RevenuePartners Time Management for Sales Teams

      Advice from RevenuePartners to hack sales team productivity

      by Andrew Honey

      Time management is one of the costliest challenges in business today. Here are 6 hacks from RevenuePartners to help you...

      Top Reasons Why You Should Study Business Administration

      Top Reasons Why You Should Study Business Administration

      by Adrian Lomezzo

      Administration course, these reasons should help you make the right choice

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      Effective Video Strategies For Your Online Store

      by Frank Hamilton

      Video marketing is an incredibly powerful digital marketing technique. Here’s how you can use it for e-commerce to promote your...

      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Data Privacy Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      No Result
      View All Result
      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In